Extruder with feed-back means

ABSTRACT

Extruders for processing material have a selectively variable extruder volume. The extruders include an extruder barrel containing a bore sized to process 5 to 50 grams of material, wherein the bore has an upstream inlet portion for feeding the material to be processed and a downstream outlet portion connectable to an extruder exit for material processed through the extruder, and at least two recycle channels which differ from one another in at least one of volume, area of cross-section and length. A diverter valve of a flow control system is positioned at the outlet of the extruder for controllably directing material flow from the bore to either the extruder exit or at least one of at least two recycle channels

This application is a continuation of copending U.S. application Ser.No. 11/795,402, filed Aug. 27, 2008 (now U.S. Pat. No. ______), which isthe national phase application of international ApplicationPCT/EP2006/000522, filed Jan. 17, 2006 which designated the U.S. andclaims benefit of EP 05075139.5, dated Jan. 21, 2005, the entirecontents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The invention relates to an extruder for processing material, comprisingan extruder barrel containing a bore and at least one extruder screwposition within said bore, the bore having an upstream inlet portion forfeeding the material to be processed and a downstream outlet portionconnectable to an extruder exit for material processed through theextruder.

Depending on the type of material the processing may involve mixing,kneading, and/or melting. E.g. thermoplastic materials, in particularpolymers or polymer blends, can be molten in a heated extruder andshaped in the molten state, e.g. as test samples. In the same processadditives may be mixed in. Other, non-thermoplastic materials, e.g. foodor other edible materials, may be mixed with other components in theextruder and as a mixture be given a desired shape, e.g. a film andgranules.

In particular extruder according to the invention is an extruder havinga limited size and effective volume, making it suitable for melting andmixing polymers that are available only in small amounts. Theirthroughput may range from 0.05 g/min to some 10 g/min or, in case theextruder is a batch type one, their effective volume may range from 5 to50 ml. Extruders of this type may be particularly applied in alaboratory environment for processing experimental material grades andsmixtures, which use to be available only in small quantities, into testsamples. Available quantities may range from 50 g down to 15 g and evenonly 5 grams. The shaping into test samples is carried out in a mannerknown from industrial extruders by feeding the mixed and/or moltenmaterial to a downstream exit of the extruder bore through a die or intoa mould, each of a proper shape.

Such an extruder is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,240. This publicationteaches that small extruders cannot easily be constructed by downscalinglarge-scale industrial extruders. To achieve sufficient residence timethe extruder barrels would have to be relatively long, whereas theextruder screw then becomes relatively thin. Screw failure due to thehigh torsion forces caused by the changing viscosity of the polymer tobe processed is to be expected. The problems associated with downscalingare resolved there by introducing a heat separation zone between theInlet and the outlet portion of the extruder bore. It is alleged thattheir construction eliminates the problem of premature failure to theextruder screws associated with scaled down conventional extruderapparatus. In the document, however, it is not disclosed how theproposed measure does eliminate the problem.

Aim of the invention is to provide an extruder, having a solidconstruction and suitable to process a variety of small availableamounts of polymer.

This aim is achieved according to the invention in that the at least oneextruder screw has a length: diameter ratio of less than 20:1, in thatthe extruder further comprises at least one recycling channel runningthrough the barrel from the outlet portion of the bore and at least tworecycling exits that connect a recycling channel to the bore upstream ofthe outlet portion, and in that it further comprises a flow controlsystem for directing the material through the at least one recyclingchannel and the recycling exits and/or the extruder exit.

Thus in the extruder according to the invention the at least one screwis favorably solid whereas by directing the material stream in theextruder through the recycling channel(s) to specific recycling exitsthe effective volume of material that can be cycled through the extrudercan be varied, adapting the extruder to the amount of materialavailable.

In one preferred embodiment the extruder comprises a recycling channelhaving at least two recycling exits. This requires only one channel tobe present in the barrel and nevertheless provides an extruder of whichthe effective volume can be varied. By selecting one of the at least tworecycling exits the length of the channel that is actually used tocirculate the material can be varied and accordingly the volume used.Valves disposed between the channel and the recycling exits as means fordirecting the material can be operated to choose the desired volume.Usually at least one recycling exit ends into the inlet part of the boreand further exits end at a more downstream position. The more downstreamthe exit that is used, the shorter is the time that the material ismixed and otherwise processed by the extruder screw. This offers theopportunity to choose a desired balance between the period during whichthe material is just transported through the channel and that duringwhich it is kneaded and mixed by the extruder screw.

In another preferred embodiment at least two recycling channels, eachhaving at least one recycling exit are present. Thus e.g. by properlyplaced valves none, one or two of the channels can be used for adaptingthe volume of the material circulating in the extruder. In aparticularly preferred embodiment the at least two recycling channelshave different volumes, e.g. created by different cross sectional areasor different lengths. In an alternative method for adapting the volumeof a recycling channel, this channel extends beyond the most upstreamrecycling exit and ends in an opening in the wall of the extruderhousing. From the outside then a bar closely fitting in the recyclingchannel can be shoved into the channel to block one or more of therecycling exits, thus forcing the recycling material to flow through therecycling channels that are not blocked by the bar. By shoving the barless or more deep into the recycling channel the number of recyclingexits blocked can be chosen. In the case the barrel consists of 2 ormore parts, that can be pivoted away to free the extruder screw, insertscan be used, to block recycle exits or to connect them to the recyclechannel as desired. An advantage of these alternative methods is that novalves are needed to open and close the recycling exits.

Also combinations of recycling channels having only one or having morerecycling exits or having different lengths or cross sections can bepresent, offering a broad variety of effective volumes. Having channelswith different cross sectional areas makes the extruder fit to processmaterials having different melt viscosities, a narrower channel beingfit for high viscosities, a wider channel for lower viscosity typematerials.

By circulating the polymer to be processed for a certain period of timethrough the extruder bore and any connected recycling channels beforeactually feeding the processed material to the extruder exit, a properprocessing time for the desired degree of heating and mixing theavailable amount of polymer can be achieved. The extruder thus removesthe necessity to have several different extruders at hand each matchedto process a certain amount of polymer. This is in particular relevantfor laboratory environments, where only small experimental amount ofmaterial tend to be present.

From U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,450 a small extruder is known in which afeedback channel is present, connecting the inlet and outlet part of theextruder bore. The polymer to be processed is circulated from the boreinto the feedback channel in order to obtain a laminar flow on whichcertain rheological parameters are measured by sensors in the feedbackchannel. The diameter of the channel must be rather wide in order toobtain a stationary laminar flow.

In this document the insight underlying the present invention, viz. thatby providing at least two different exits into the extruder bore anextruder having various effective volumes can be created, is absent.

The extruder is designed such that the length of the at least one screwis relatively short compared to its diameter, their ration being lessthan 20:1, preferably less than 15:1 or even less than 10:1. When aconical screw is applied then the diameter is to be read as its largestdiameter. Such screws can more easily withstand the torsion forcesexerted by the processing of polymer material through the barrel thanthe known downscaled screws.

Extruders as such are known in the art and usually comprise a metalhousing a barrel containing a hollow, mainly axial, bore in which one ormore rotating screws having mixing and transport functionality arepresent. At the upstream inlet portion of the bore an inlet is presentto feed the material to be processed into the extruder. The material fedis processed by the rotation of the at least one screw, whereby thebarrel may be heated to melt the material and suitable screwconfiguration causes proper mixing and transporting to the downstreamoutlet portion of the barrel. The bore ends into an exit opening tooutside the extruder allowing the mixed and/or molten material to leavethe extruder under the transporting action of the at least one screw.The extruder exit opening can be provided with a die making the materialto leave in the shape of that die, which shape then is retained bycooling the molten outlet stream. The outlet can also be connected to amould containing a cavity of a desired shape. This cavity is filled thenwith molten material and after cooling an object having the shape of thecavity is obtained. Such cavity can e.g. have the shape of theprescribed test sample for certain test procedure.

In the extruder according to the invention at least one channel and atleast two recycling exits are present that connect the outlet portion ofthe bore to a position upstream thereof. In this way loops can becreated through which the material transported by the screws on arrivalat the output portion of the bore flows into one or more of therecycling channels and through these channel(s) through one or morerecycling exits back to the bore, where it is fed to the screw(s) againand moves downstream again through the barrel. Thus the stream of moltenpolymer can circulate until it has been mixed and molten to a sufficientextent for expelling it through the extruder exit and giving it thedesired shape as described before.

In a preferred embodiment at least one recycling channel is present thathas at least two recycling outlets into the bore. In this way it ispossible to realize two and even three different effective volumes byonly one recycling channel, which makes the construction easier.

In another preferred embodiment at least two recycling channels arepresent that differ in their volume, e.g. caused by a difference inlength and/or by a difference in their cross sectional areaperpendicular to their length direction.

In yet another embodiment at least two recycling channels are presentthat differ in the area of their cross section and or their length.

These differences allow a wide variation in recycle volumes, and whenchannels having different cross-sections are present, to allowcompositions having viscosities to be recycled. The larger cross-sectionchannel than allows higher viscosity materials to be recycled, thesmaller cross section channel can be used for easier flowing materials.

A proper valve system is present between the outlet portion of thebarrel and the extruder exit and, if applicable within a recyclingchannel having more than one recycling exit, in order to select thedesired flow paths through one or more of the recycling channels and toone or more of the exits or directly to the extruder exit. The channelsnormally run through the barrel but they may also run outside it. Ifmaterials are processed in a molten state, the barrel and any outsiderunning channel are heated in order to keep the material flowing throughthem in a molten state.

The shape of the bore may be cylindrical or conical. In case two screwsare present the bore is substantially eight-shaped with two partlycoinciding cylindrical or conical bores, in each bore a cylindrical orconical screw being present. Such constructions are known per se forsingle or multi-screw extruders. Also extruders having more than twoscrews are known in the art and can be applied in the extruder accordingto the invention. If two screws are present these screws may becounter-rotating but preferably they are co-rotating. This has appearedto be a highly effective arrangement for rapid mixing and it ensures adefined transportation path.

The invention is further elucidated by the following drawing, in whichFIG. 1 is a cross section of a single-screw extruder having tworecycling channels, one of those having more than one recycling exit.FIG. 1 represents one of the working examples of the present invention,but is not limiting to the scope of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 an extruder 1 is shown with extruder barrel 3. In barrel 3 acylindrical bore 5 is present, ending at its downstream outlet portionin an extruder exit 7. The exit is connected to a three-way valve 9 thatcan direct the material stream transported downstream by extruder screw11 to one or both of recycling channels 13 and 15 for recirculation orto exit 17 for leaving the extruder. Exit 17 can be designed to give adesired shape to the material stream leaving it or a die (not shown)having the desired outlet shape can be connected to the exit 17 for thatpurpose.

Channel 15 has three recycling exits 19, 21 and 23 opening into bore 5at different heights upstream. Valves 25, 27 and 29 are present foropening and closing exits 19, 21 and/or 23 as desired, thus varying theeffective extruder volume and/or the recycling time and thekneading/mixing part of the total recycling time. Valve 29 can beomitted and mainly serves to prevent material from entering from theextruder bore into the exit channel 23, which might occur when theextruder becomes overfed. For the same reason a valve may be present inthe recycling exit at the upstream end of recycling channel 13. Inserts25 a, 27 a and 29 a may be provided as an alternative to the valves 25,27 and 29 so as to block or connect recycle exits 19, 21 and 23,respectively, to the recycle channel 15.

Channel 13 with a diameter different than channel 15 runs directly fromthe outlet portion of bore 7 back to the inlet portion thereof. The feedchannel for feeding the basic unprocessed material to the extruder isnot shown in this drawing and resides upstream of recycling exit 23.

1. An extruder for processing material and having a selectively variableextruder volume, the extruder comprising: an extruder barrel containinga bore sized to process 5 to 50 grams of material, wherein the bore hasan upstream inlet portion for feeding the material to be processed and adownstream outlet portion connectable to an extruder exit for materialprocessed through the extruder, at least one extruder screw positionedwithin the bore, wherein the at least one extruder screw has alength:diameter ratio of less than 20:1, at least two recycle channelswhich differ from one another in at least one of volume, area ofcross-section and length, and a flow control system including a divertervalve positioned at the outlet of the extruder for controllablydirecting material flow from the bore to either the extruder exit or atleast one of at least two recycle channels.
 2. The extruder according toclaim 1, wherein the effective extruder volume ranges from 5 to 50 ml.3. The extruder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length:diameterratio is less than 15:1.
 4. The extruder according to claim 1 or 2,comprising two co-rotating extruder screws.